Development Name: Graven Hill

Bicester Local Information

Graven Hill benefits from being within walking distance of Bicester, a historic market town that offers beautiful tourist sights in addition to shopping hotspots.

From independent shops and high street brands to Michelin star restaurants and relaxed cafés serving high-tea, Bicester represents the quintessential British lifestyle.

Food & Drink

Bicester Village is filled with an array of eateries and relaxed cafés serving high-tea and is the perfect pit-stop after a day of shopping.

On an evening, you can find a variety of restaurants in the local area which include Michelin star restaurants, national chains and also local resident favourites.

For further information, please visit www.tbvsc.com/bicester-village/en.

Leisure & Entertainment 

The world-famous Bicester Village shopping outlet is just a stone’s throw away, offering high-end designer brands such as Burberry, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Mulberry and Balenciaga to crowds of nearly six million visitors a year. With more than 160 luxury boutiques serving the best in fashion, beauty and homeware at a fraction of the normal price, Bicester Village is a slice of London’s Oxford Street in a beautiful rural setting.

The best way to acquaint yourself with Bicester’s town centre is to download the Historic Town Trail drawn up by the Bicester Local Historical Society. This 18-stop walk guides you to lots of little points of interest.

You’ll see Bicester’s oldest house, a vicarage from 1500, as well as a 17th-century Dovecote, 16th-century farmhouse and a rebuilt structure from the defunct Bicester priory.

Education

For information relating to local education services, please visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/schools.

 

 

 

Mechanical ventilation systems are installed within each property, with each unit being commissioned individually so that the amount of air moved is tailored to suit the performance required.

The system is designed to run continually on a constant trickle setting, which can be boosted via the kitchen and bathroom light switches. The spur switch for the ventilation unit is in the storage cupboard and should not be switched off, except for carrying out any maintenance and/or servicing. As part of the trickle setting, the recessed ceiling vents continually circulate air around the property and take stale air from inside the property and replace it with clean fresh air without the need to open windows.

The boost function enables the system to operate at a higher extraction rate, which is useful in situations where a lot of water vapour is produced in a short amount of time i.e. whilst cooking or bathing.

A summer/winter fan controller switch also forms part of the operation of the ventilation system. Switching the system to ‘summer’ places the system into the summer bypass function, whereby no heat is recovered. Switching the system to ‘winter’ places the system into the winter bypass function, whereby the bypass is disabled meaning the unit is constantly in in heat recovery mode.

The manufacturer, Nuaire, recommend that filters are inspected every 6 months and replaced every 12 months. A flashing LED will indicate that a filter change is required. This indication repeats every 12 months and will turn off automatically after 5 days. The maintenance of the ventilation system is the responsibility of the owner and should be carried out by a suitably qualified person. Please ensure the ventilation unit is serviced/maintained in accordance with the manufacturers guidance in order uphold the warranty, failure to do this will result in the warranty being voided.

Please see the below PDF version of the manual for further information:

Download – Ventilation – Nuaire MRXBOX-ECO3-SWMVHR – Installation & Maintenance Manual

Condensation

Additional moisture in the air resulting from the drying out process, coupled with moisture produced by everyday activities may cause condensation to appear on cold surfaces, such as windows and walls. This can be reduced by:

• • Covering pans during cooking and ensuring kettles are switched off after they boil.
• • Drying clothes in well ventilated rooms where possible.
• • Closing kitchen and bathroom doors to prevent moisture transferring into colder rooms.
• • Avoiding the use of bottled gas or paraffin heaters.
• • Wiping down surfaces where moisture settles.
• • Maintaining a low background heat.

If the property is not being ventilated properly, then this will then result in a build-up of condensation. Excessive humidity or standing water on the floor can lead to damage through swelling (deformation and discolouration) which would not be covered under warranty.

Condensation can be alleviated by following the above guidance and by utilising the ventilation system effectively, which will in turn prevent ‘black spot mould’ from forming on the walls and behind cupboards.

Please Note: The legal owner or the occupier will be responsible for all utility payments and council tax from the date of legal completion.

Local Authority (Council)

The local authority for the development is Cherwell Valley District Council. Their contact details are below for your reference:

Website:	www.cherwell.gov.uk
Telephone:	01295 227 000
Email Address:	council.tax@cherwell-dc.gov.uk

Following legal completion of the property, SevenCapital will advise Cherwell Valley District Council of the change in ownership. You will need to contact Cherwell Valley District Council directly to re-iterate the change in ownership and to provide any forwarding addresses for billing purposes. Cherwell Valley District Council will advise on rates and any other queries that you may have.

The occupier of the property will be responsible for the payment of Council Tax. Should the property become vacant, the responsibility will fall to the legal owner of the property.

Electricity Supply & Provider

The electricity meter for each property is located within the storage cupboard of each individual property. 

The electricity provider for the development is British Gas. Their contact details are below for your reference:

Website:	www.britishgas.co.uk
Telephone:	0333 202 9802

Following legal completion and the subsequent handover of the property, SevenCapital will advise British Gas of the change in ownership and the meter reading taken at the point of completion.

You will need to contact British Gas directly to re-iterate the change in ownership and to provide any forwarding addresses for billing purposes. British Gas will advise on tariffs and any other queries that you may have.

The occupier of the property will be responsible for the payment of the associated bills for the electricity services and to also provide on-going meter readings when required. Should the property become vacant, the responsibility will fall to the legal owner of the property.

Water Supply & Provider

The water meter for each individual property is located within the communal corridor. If meter readings are required, please contact the Managing Agent, Living City. 

The water supplier for the development is Thames Water. Their contact details are below for your reference:

Website:	www.thameswater.co.uk
Telephone:	0800 316 9800

Following legal completion and the subsequent handover of the property, SevenCapital will advise Thames Water of the change in ownership and the meter reading taken at the point of completion.

You will need to contact Thames Water directly to re-iterate the change in ownership and to provide any forwarding addresses for billing purposes. Thames Water will advise on tariffs and any other queries that you may have.

The occupier of the property will be responsible for the payment of the associated bills for the water services and to also provide on-going meter readings when required. Should the property become vacant, the responsibility will fall to the legal owner of the property.

Stopcocks

Each property is fitted with a stopcock in the storage cupboard to enable the water supply to each individual property to be isolated.

Stopcocks are also located in the communal cupboards on each floor of the block. They are located here for the ease of being able to isolate the water supply to a property in the event that the occupier isn’t available at the time of an emergency.

Isolation Valves

Sanitaryware pipework within the property is fitted with isolation valves, meaning the water supply can be isolated to any fitting rather than turning the water off to the whole of the property via the stopcock. The isolation valves can be found for the supplies to the toilet, wash basin, kitchen sink, washer-dryer and dishwasher.

Waste Plumbing

Wastewater from your kitchen and bathroom runs through the pipework directly into the drainage system. The legal owner is responsible for the care and maintenance of all the fittings and waste pipes within the property.

If you find that a wash basin, sink, bath or shower is taking longer than normal to drain, then you can use a chemical drain cleaner which is readily available from all good DIY stores. Alternatively, please seek professional advice. You can prevent the sinks and plug holes from becoming blocked by regularly cleaning them.

Important: Please refrain from putting food waste, oils or any fats into sinks as this may cause blockages. Do not dispose of anything other than toilet tissue in the toilets. The plumbing/waste system isn’t designed to be able to flush items such as nappies, wipes or sanitary items etc. Flushing non-flushable items down the toilet could result in an expensive blockage for which you could be liable.

The property is fitted with carpet within the bedrooms and Karndean flooring is fitted throughout the rest of the property.

Care Information

Please see the cleaning and maintenance information for Karndean flooring at www.karndean.com

Colour Specification

The combination of colour specification for the flooring was specified by the owner prior to completion, as per the below:

Option 1

• • The living area, kitchen & hallway are fitted with Karndean (Knight Tile) in the colour Pale Limed Oak.
• • The bathroom and en-suite bathroom (if applicable) are fitted with Karndean (Knight Tile) in the colour Black Riven Slate.
• • The bedrooms are fitted with carpet, which is Pennine Twist in the colour Cloud.

 

Option 2

• • The living area, kitchen & hallway are fitted with Karndean (Knight Tile) in the colour Grey Limed Oak.
• • The bathroom and en-suite bathroom (if applicable) are fitted with Karndean (Knight Tile) in the colour Grey Riven Slate.
• • The bedrooms are fitted with carpet, which is Pennine Twist in the colour Cloud.

 

Option 3

• • The living area, kitchen & hallway are fitted with Karndean (Knight Tile) in the colour Light Worn Oak.
• • The bathroom and en-suite bathroom (if applicable) are fitted with Karndean (Knight Tile) in the colour Portland Stone.
• • The bedrooms are fitted with carpet, which is Pennine Twist in the colour Ash.

 

 

Fire Safety

Should you discover a fire, then please dial 999 immediately to report the situation to the emergency services. It is important that you do not panic or stop to collect belongings.

In the event of a fire please do not try to tackle the fire yourself by using the fire extinguishers, unless you are trained to do so. Please do not use the lifts and descend using the nearest stairway.

The information boards located within the main entrances will provide you with information on where the emergency exits are located, as well as the fire emergency procedure for the development. Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with this information.

For further information, please contact the Managing Agent, Livingcity.

Smoke Detectors & Heat Detectors

Each property is fitted with hard-wired smoke detectors that have battery back-ups. There is also a hard-wired heat detector that has a battery back-up located within the kitchen of each property.

You should regularly test the detectors by pressing the button on the device and also ensure that the batteries are changed regularly to allow for the detectors to work to their optimum. For your own safety, smoke detectors and heat detectors should not be removed from their fixtures or covered.

Please see the below PDF documents for further information relating to the detectors:

Download – Smoke Detector – British General Mains Optical Alarm – Technical Data

Download – Heat Detector – British General Mains Heat Alarm – Technical Datamains

Door Entry & Communal Access

There is an individual door entry system within the property that is linked to the main entrance doors to the development, which allows each resident control of visitors into the building. In order to prevent security issues, please do not provide access to anyone who you are not familiar with.

Externally, the building is accessed via a door entry system to the main entrance/external doors and is only accessible with a programmed key card. Each occupier will have their own allocated key card for access into the building.

Should you require a replacement or an additional key card, please contact the Managing Agent, Livingcity, and they will confirm the cost for this service.

Post boxes are located outside the main communal door to each block.

If you are renting the property and require a replacement post box key, then you will need to contact your landlord or letting agent directly so that they can organise for a replacement to be issued. Replacement post box keys may be chargeable by your landlord or letting agent and you will be responsible for paying the costs incurred for this service.

 

The windows in the property are coated aluminium double-glazed units with lockable handles.

The internal cleaning of the windows is the responsibility of the occupier and must be carried out in a safe manner. The external cleaning of the windows is the responsibility of the Managing Agent, Livingcity.

Our Information Hub has been created to provide you with a wealth of information regarding Graven Hill, the property and also the surrounding area of Bicester.

In order to explore the Information Hub, simply use the tabs above to help you find guidance on appliances and information on how to care for your new property.

Please note: Access to the SevenCapital Information Hub is permitted to tenants, owners and  also lettings agents.

Front Door

The main entrance door to the property is a BM TRADA Q-Mark Fire Door with an American White Oak Veneer finish. It is fitted with Satin Stainless-Steel furniture, a Euro Cylinder Lock with a thumb turn for your security. Front doors to the property cannot be replaced without seeking advice from the Managing Agent, Livingcity, as this could jeopardise the fire integrity of your property.

Please contact the Managing Agent, Livingcity for their procedure on how to apply for consent to change the front door to your property.

Internal Doors

The internal doors within the property have an American White Oak Veneer finish and are fitted with Satin Stainless-Steel furniture.

Door Entry System

There is an individual door entry system within the property that is linked to the main entrance doors to the development, which allows each resident control of visitors into the building. In order to prevent security issue, please do not provide access to anyone who you are not familiar with.

Please see the below PDF version of the manual for further information:

Download – Door Entry System – Vimar Elvox 8879.1 – Installer Manual